第16期:基因测试(1)
日期:2018-12-13 10:24

(单词翻译:单击)

【文章预读】

IF A genetic test could tell whether you are at increased risk of getting cancer or Alzheimer’s, would you take it? As such tests become more accessible, more and more people are saying “yes”. The insurance industry faces a few headaches as a result.

Once used only for medical reasons, basic predictive genetic tests can now be ordered online for a few hundred dollars. One company, 23andMe, in California, has collected some 4,000 litres of sputum since 2007, enlightening 2m people on their ancestry, health risks and what they may pass on to offspring. In April it received regulatory approval to screen for risk factors connected to ten diseases and genetic conditions, including late-onset Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The ruling could open the floodgates for others to sell direct to consumers.

“Information is power”, argue many who take such tests. But insurers fear that without equal access to such information, they will lose out to savvy customers. Consumer groups, on the other hand, fear that if underwriters did have access to such information, people with “bad” genes might find themselves unfairly excluded from cover. Either way, the scientific advances could well disrupt insurance significantly.


【文章精讲】

IF A genetic test could tell whether you are at increased risk of getting cancer or Alzheimer’s, would you take it? As such tests become more accessible, more and more people are saying “yes”. The insurance industry faces a few headaches as a result.


Alzheimer’s 老年痴呆(阿尔茨海默病)
accessible adj.容易接触的
- access n./v. 接触,获取,打开
- The file can be accessed by many users at the same time.

Once used only for medical reasons, basic predictive genetic tests can now be ordered online for a few hundred dollars. One company, 23andMe, in California, has collected some 4,000 litres of sputum since 2007, enlightening 2m people on their ancestry, health risks and what they may pass on to offspring. In April it received regulatory approval to screen for risk factors connected to ten diseases and genetic conditions, including late-onset Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The ruling could open the floodgates for others to sell direct to consumers.


predictive adj.可预测的
sputum n.痰
enlighten v.启发,使…了解(to give knowledge to someone)
ancestry n.祖先,血统
offspring n.后代
screen v.检测
late-onset adj.晚发作的
- onset n.病痛发作
Parkinson’s 帕金森病
floodgate n.闸门

- open the floodgates of ….. 爆发


“Information is power”, argue many who take such tests. But insurers fear that without equal access to such information, they will lose out to savvy customers. Consumer groups, on the other hand, fear that if underwriters did have access to such information, people with “bad” genes might find themselves unfairly excluded from cover. Either way, the scientific advances could well disrupt insurance significantly.


lose out 失败,吃亏
savvy adj.见多识广的,聪明的
underwriter n.保险商
exclude v.排除
disrupt v.破坏


【推荐句式表达】

1.As…, more and more ...
2.…. faces a new headache as a result
3.open the floodgates of ….
4.lose out to…
分享到